As F. Scott Fitzgerald famously wrote: “Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me”.
Yes, they have more money. Much, much more money, and far fewer moral scruples, it would appear, going by the recent scandal involving four high-profile members of Britain’s richest family -- the Hindujas. Those in the know call this branch of the family “the stingy Hindujas”, who live in Geneva and have an estimated fortune of $47 billion.
And, despite their awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping wealth, it is this very family, living in a sprawling villa located in the very snobbish Cologny area of Geneva, that has been in the news for the most terrible of reasons, accused and sentenced for the mistreatment of servants “imported” from India. As Geneva’s famous prosecutor Yves Bertossa pointed out in court, the family of Prakash and Kamal Hinduja (both in their 70s), son Ajay and his wife Namrata, spent over $10,000 a year on their pet dog. The same people treated their domestics worse than dogs.
They now face penalties after being found guilty of exploitation and illegal employment. The domestics were getting paid $7 a day, which is less than a tenth of what the law demands in Switzerland. In addition, their passports were confiscated, with their work frequently extended to 18 hours a day, and nights spent on mattresses spread in an airless basement.
Robert Assael, the lawyer for the defendants, said after the sentencing: “I am shocked. We are going to fi.
